System and method for sequential delivery of measured doses of medication

ABSTRACT

A medicine dosing device for delivering sequential doses of medication to a patient. The medicine dosing device includes a substantially transparent vessel for holding the medication therein. A visual dosing aid such as a dosing bar is present on a surface of the vessel. The visual dosing aid includes a plurality of dosing segments where each of the dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be sequentially provided to the patient. The visual dosing aid may be of a color or pattern that is correlated to at least one physical characteristic of the patient.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/665,417, entitled SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SEQUENTIAL DELIVERY OF MEASURED DOSES OF MEDICATION, filed on May 1, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes.

This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/392,087, filed Sep. 2, 2016, entitled “System for Delivering Medication,” which claims priority to PCT Application No. PCT/US2013/023873, filed Jan. 30, 2013, entitled “System for Delivering Medication”.

FIELD OF DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to a medicine-dosing device, and more particularly to a pre-labeled medicine dosing device and method for administering appropriate doses of medicine.

BACKGROUND

Administering proper drug doses accurately and efficiently during an emergency or intensive care situation is of critical importance. This is particularly of essence in an emergency or critical care situations, and especially those that involve pediatric patients as even small dosing mistakes can lead to disastrous consequences. However, even under the best of circumstances and despite the best of efforts of medical personnel, inadvertent mistakes are sometimes made because of the multitude of steps involved in the drug administration process. More specifically, in a typical situation appropriate drug dosage must first be determined, which usually involves multi-step mathematical calculations. This is followed by plurality of steps involved in the actual drug administration process, which may include selection of a correct medicine to be administered or medical dosing device to be used. Because each step carries with it a potential for introducing an error into the overall drug administration process, reducing the number of steps that must be executed can significantly increase the overall accuracy and efficiency of the process.

Drug dosages conventionally are determined based on the weight of the patient. However this method can, at times, be inappropriate and inaccurate especially in the emergency and critical care situations. Thus, at times, patient length can be used, as it allows for a quick and efficient determination of drug dosages, involves the use of a color coded measuring tape for determining the length of a patient. More specifically, the Broselow® Pediatric Emergency Tape is a well known instrument that correlates easily obtainable patient length to drug dosages. The details of the instrument and the method of its use are disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,716,888 and 6,132,416 to Broselow which are incorporated by reference into the present disclosure. In general, the method involves measuring and coding patient length to one of the color zones provided on the tape and using the color-coded length to determine a drug dosage to be administered to the patient. By segmenting the tape into plurality of color coded zones rather than the typically used inches or centimeters, with each color zone corresponding to a given length range, the length of the patient can be easily read and noted as being of a certain color rather than as a specific measurement in centimeters or inches. In other words, each color-coded length zone corresponds to a certain, predetermined range of the actual lengths as measured in either metric or imperial units. For example, the grey color zone on the tape may correspond to a length range from 42.20 cm to 60.79 cm and the pink color zone on the tape may correspond to the length range from 60.80 cm to 67.79 cm. Thus, a patient whose length falls within the first length range would be coded as gray and a patient whose length falls within the second length range would be coded as pink. The appropriate drug dosages for the two patients would then be selected from a list of predetermined drug dosages listed on the tape. Other commercially available length/weight-based tapes, such as the PediaTape and the Handtevy tape, are used in a similar fashion.

Although the step of determining drug dosages has been greatly simplified with the use of aforementioned method, a number of other issues still remain that often lead to dosing errors or that make the medication administration process inefficient. For instance, in order to arrive at a correct dose of medicine that is to be administered once the medication dosage is determined a number of other calculations, such as those involving, for example, concentration of the medication, still need to be performed. Furthermore, the selection of a correct medicine, an appropriate medicine dosing device or drawing of a correct predetermined volume of medication into the medicine dosing device can each introduce an error or slow down the process of administering medication to the patient. Even in situations when medication dosages are based on dosing systems other than the conventional weight based systems, such as for example patient age, body surface area or volume, dosing inaccuracies may be observed due to the type of calibrations used in such systems. In particular, a typically used constant incremental change in dosages may result in a loss in needed dosing accuracy when such systems are used.

Thus, despite the availability of various techniques designed to simplify the process of drug dosage determination and administration, there still exists a possibility of errors because of the pressure of time and the environment under which the treatment is delivered, as well as the type of dosing systems that are being used. Accordingly, there is need for a device for, and method of, accurately and efficiently delivering drugs during an emergency or critical situation, especially to pediatric patients.

SUMMARY

A medicine dispensing device for administering a selected drug is disclosed herein. The medicine dispensing device includes a series of zones of varying widths marked on the surface of the medicine dispensing device, with each of the zones corresponding to a pre-determined dose of the drug that is correlated to one of the physical characteristics of a patient. The series of zones marked such that the smallest dose of the drug to be administered corresponds to a first zone that is proximate an opening through which the drug is to be dispensed.

A method for generating a dosing label for affixing to a medicine dispensing device is also disclosed. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of selecting a drug to be administered and determining drug doses for a plurality of color coded zones corresponding to one of the physical characteristics of a patient. The step of determining drug doses further comprising the steps of determining a concentration of the drug solution; determining a volumetric capacity of the medicine dispensing device; and calculating a width of individual color coded zones to be printed on the dosing label, with each individual color coded zone width corresponding to a drug dose based on one of the physical characteristics of the patient.

A method of administering drugs to patients more accurately and efficiently is disclosed herein. In one embodiment the method includes: determining a color coded zone for a patient from a plurality of color coded zones, the color coded zone corresponding to one of the physical characteristics of a patient; determining the drug to be administered to the patient; selecting a medical treatment kit including a container filled with the drug to be administered and a pre-marked medicine dispensing device, the pre-marked medicine dispensing device comprising a series of color coded zones of varying widths corresponding to drug doses that can be administered; determining a drug dose to be administered to the patient corresponding to the determined color coded zone; drawing medication from the container filled with the drug into the pre-marked medicine dispensing device to arrive at a color coded zone associated with the determined drug dose; verifying correctness of the drug dose, and administering the determined drug dose to the patient.

A method of administering drugs to patients more accurately and efficiently, may alternatively include the steps of: determining a color coded zone for a patient from a plurality of color coded zones, the color coded zone corresponding to one of the physical characteristics of a patient; determining the drug to be administered to the patient; selecting a prefilled and/or a pre-marked medicine dispensing device containing the drug, the prefilled and/or pre-marked medicine dispensing device comprising a series of color coded zones of varying widths corresponding to drug doses that can be administered; determining a drug dose to be administered to the patient corresponding to the determined color coded zone; expelling any excess medication from the prefilled and/or pre-marked medicine dispensing device to arrive at a color coded zone associated with the determined drug dose; verifying correctness of the drug dose remaining in the pre-filled and pre-marked medicine dispensing device; and administering the determined drug dose to the patient.

In some embodiments, a method of administering a drug may comprise determining a color coded zone for a patient from a plurality of color coded zones. The color coded zone may correspond to one of the physical characteristics of the patient. The drug to be administered to the patient may be determined, and a pre-marked medicine dispensing device is selected. The pre-marked medicine dispensing device may comprise a series of color coded zones of varying widths that correspond to drug doses that can be administered. A drug dose to be administered to the patient is determined, and the pre-marked medicine dispensing device is filled with a volume of the drug based on the determined drug dose. The volume of the drug filled within the pre-marked medicine dispensing device is verified by ensuring that the filled volume corresponds to the determined color coded zone. Once this verification is confirmed, the drug dose may be administered to the patient using the pre-marked medicine dispensing device.

In another embodiment, a medicine dosing system may comprise a substantially transparent vessel for holding a selected drug therein and a series of zones of varying widths may be marked on the surface of the vessel, where each zone corresponds to a pre-determined dose of the selected drug. The predetermined dose may correlate to at least one of the physical characteristics of a patient, and the series of zones may correlate to a range of safe doses of the selected drug for patients with the at least one physical characteristics. A person administering the drug may ensure that the pre-determined dose of the selected drug is within the range of safe doses that correspond to the at least one physical characteristics of the patient.

The disclosure is also directed to a medicine dosing device for delivering sequential doses of medication to a patient. The medicine dosing device includes a substantially transparent vessel for holding the medication therein. A visual dosing aid is present on a surface of the vessel. The visual dosing aid has a plurality of dosing segments where each of the dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be provided to the patient. The visual dosing aid may be of a color or pattern that is correlated to at least one physical characteristic (e.g., length or weight) of the patient.

In the case in which the visual dosing aid includes, for example, three dosing segments, a first of the dosing segments may correspond to a first dose of the medication to be provided to the patient. A second of the dosing segments may correspond to a second dose of the medication to be provided to the patient and a third of the plurality of dosing segments may correspond to a third dose of the medication to be provided to the patient.

The visual dosing aid may be in the shape of a bar and each of the dosing segments may be rectangular. In some implementations the visual dosing aid is printed on a label and affixed to an outer surface of the medicine dispensing device, which may be a syringe. The widths of the dosing segments are generally dependent upon the particular medication to be administered, the concentration of the medication and a volumetric capacity of the substantially transparent vessel.

In another aspect the medicine dosing device includes a substantially transparent vessel for holding a medication therein. The dosing device includes a first visual dosing aid on a surface of the vessel. The first visual dosing aid being is of a first color and has a plurality of first dosing segments. Each of the first dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be provided to a first patient where the first color is correlated to a size of the first patient. The dosing device further includes a second visual dosing aid on a surface of the vessel, the second visual dosing aid being of a second color and having a plurality of second dosing segments. Each of the plurality of second dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to a medication dose to be provided to a second patient where the second color is correlated to a size of the second patient.

The first visual dosing aid and the second visual dosing may each be in the shape of a bar and each of the first dosing segments and second dosing segments may be rectangular. In one implementation the first visual dosing aid is printed on a first label and affixed to an outer surface of the medicine dispensing device and the second visual dosing aid is printed on a second label and affixed to the outer surface of the medicine dispensing device.

The disclosure further pertains to a method of administering a drug in which a dosing color for a patient is determined from a plurality of dosing colors based upon correspondence of the dosing color to one of the physical characteristics of the patient. The method further includes selecting a prefilled drug dispensing device containing the drug where the prefilled drug dispensing device includes a visual dosing aid having a color the same as the dosing color. The visual dosing aid has at least a first dosing segment identifying a first volume of the drug corresponding to a first drug dose to be provided to the patient and a second dosing segment identifying a second volume of the drug corresponding to a second drug dose to be provided to the patient. The method further includes administering the first drug dose to the patient using the prefilled drug dispensing device and administering the second drug dose to the patient using the prefilled drug dispensing device. In one implementation the method may include determining a number of doses of the drug that have been administered to the patient by observing a volume of the drug remaining in the drug dispensing device relative to at least one of the first dosing segment and the second dosing segment.

In a further aspect the disclosure is directed to a method of administering a drug which involves determining a dosing color for a patient from a plurality of dosing colors where the dosing color corresponds to one of the physical characteristics of the patient. The method includes selecting a drug dispensing device having a visual dosing aid having a color the same as the dosing color. The visual dosing aid has at least a first dosing segment identifying a first volume of the drug corresponding to a first drug dose to be provided to the patient and a second dosing segment identifying a second volume of the drug corresponding to a second drug dose to be provided to the patient. The method further includes filling the drug dispensing device with the drug and administering the first drug dose to the patient using the drug dispensing device. The second drug dose is also administered to the patient without refilling the drug dispensing device. In one implementation the method may include determining a number of doses of the drug that have been administered to the patient by observing a volume of the drug remaining in the drug dispensing device relative to at least one of the first dosing segment and the second dosing segment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1A-1D are perspective views of a medicine-dosing device according to one embodiment of the current disclosure.

FIGS. 2A-2D are perspective views of a medicine-dosing device according to another embodiment of the current disclosure.

FIGS. 3A-3D are plan views of the labels with the color-coded medication doses.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a method of determining and printing the color-coded medication dose labels.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing a method of administering a medication using the disclosed pre-filled and marked medicine-dosing device.

FIG. 6 illustrates a measuring instrument used to determine a color-coded length of a patient.

FIG. 7A illustrates a method of administering a medication using the disclosed emergency medical treatment kit that includes the pre-marked medicine dosing device.

FIG. 7B illustrates an exemplary emergency medical treatment kit for administering a medication according to one embodiment of the current disclosure.

FIGS. 8A-8F includes data showing improvements in the drug delivery using the system and methods of the current disclosure.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate alternative methods of administering a medication according to some embodiments.

FIGS. 9C-9D illustrate exemplary charts used for determining a color-coded zone for a patient.

FIGS. 10A-10B illustrate exemplary labels with the color-coded medication doses according to several embodiments.

FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment of a dosing system including a pre-labeled medicine dosing/dispensing device designed to facilitate delivery of sequential doses of medication to a patient in a safe manner.

FIG. 12 illustrates a dosing system including a pre-labeled medicine dosing/dispensing device designed to facilitate delivery of sequential doses of medication to any one of multiple different-sized patients.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present application describes a device, system, and a method for administering proper medication doses to patients. The device and system are configured to address the five rights of medicine delivery; that is, giving the right patient the right drug in the right dose by the right route at the right time. In particular, a pre-marked medicine dosing/dispensing device designed to minimize medication dosing errors, as well as to improve the overall accuracy and efficiency of administering medication, especially in the emergency and critical care situations, is provided.

As discussed in detail below, in one embodiment the medicine dosing device 10 is a syringe 15 that includes an elongate barrel 30 marked with predetermined color-coded volumetric medicine doses 100 and a plunger 50. The medicine-dosing device, according to one embodiment, may be further pre-filled with a fluid 105 that corresponds to a medication to be administered to a patient. A method for determining specific volumetric doses for a plurality of medications based on different factors is also disclosed. In particular, according to one embodiment the method involves generating labels or marking medical dosing devices with doses that are determined based on, for example, volumetric capacity of medical dosing device and/or drug concentration.

Also, a method for administering proper medication doses using the pre-marked medicine-dosing device is discussed. The method disclosed leads to a significant reduction in the amount of time required to determine and administer a dose of medication to a patient and at the same time decreases the risk that such doses will be miscalculated or otherwise erroneously administered.

Device

For a detailed discussion of the first embodiment of the pre-labeled medicine dosing/dispensing device 10, reference is now made to FIGS. 1A-1D. As shown in FIG. 1A, the medicine dosing device 10 according to one embodiment is a syringe 15 that includes a proximal end 25 and a distal end 20 opposite the proximal end. The syringe includes a vessel, such as a syringe barrel 30 at the distal end for holding therein a medicine that is to be dispensed, and a plunger 50 that extends proximally from an opening 36 located at the proximal end 35 of the syringe barrel to the proximal end 55 of the plunger at the proximal end 25. The syringe barrel and plunger are both manufactured from material such as plastic, glass or any other suitable transparent medical grade material that is inert or will not disrupt the chemical balance of the fluid inside.

As illustrated in FIG. 1B the syringe barrel 30 is elongate and substantially cylindrical and includes a distal end 31 and a proximal end 35. The syringe barrel further includes and outer circumferential surface 37 and an inner circumferential surface 38. A chamber 32 capable of receiving a plunger and retaining a fluid therein is defined by the inner circumferential surface 38 of the barrel between the distal and proximal ends 31 and 35. A flange 33, which can serve as a finger grip to provide for an easier handing of the syringe, is integrally formed with the proximal end of the barrel and defines an opening 36 for receiving the plunger. Proximate the opening 36, along the inner surface of the barrel, is a ridge 34, shown in FIG. 1C, that prevents the plunger from slipping out of the barrel once it is engaged with the barrel.

The opening 36 is in communication with the chamber 32 and an orifice 39 located at the distal end 20 of the syringe barrel. A tip 40 for attaching a needle, nozzle or tubing for expelling the liquid contained within the syringe barrel 30 is integrally formed with the distal end 20 of the barrel and in communication with the orifice 39. The tip may include coaxially positioned inner 41 and outer 42 members. According to one embodiment the tip may include a Luer taper fitting. In some embodiments, the tip may be configured based on the type of drug that the syringe is used to deliver. For example, oral tips may be used on syringes configured for medicines that are oral, and in particular, the oral tip may be different from an intravenous (“IV”) or intermuscular (“IM”) tip, thereby ensuring that the medicine is delivered by the right route. Similarly, syringes configured for IV and IM drugs may be configured with IV and IM tips, respectively, such that they, too, can only be delivered via the right route.

The plunger 50, according to one embodiment shown in FIG. 1B, includes a plunger rod 51 and a rubber or plastic gasket or stopper 52 attached to the distal end 56 of the plunger rod. The gasket forms a tight seal between the inner surface of the barrel and the plunger in order to prevent the contents of the syringe from escaping out the back of the syringe. An annular flange 53 is integrally formed with the proximal end 55 of the plunger rod. The plunger 50 has an elongate shape complementary to that of the chamber 30 and is designed such that it can be pushed along the chamber (inside of the cylindrical barrel or tube) allowing the syringe to expel fluid through the tip 40 or orifice 39 at the distal end of the barrel. Alternatively the plunger can include any other configuration capable of forcing the fluid from inside the chamber 30 through the tip 40 or orifice 39.

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, the medicine dosing device may be prefilled with a pre-selected drug. Initially, when the medicine dosing device is prefilled and the syringe is in the pre-medication administration position, the substantial length of the plunger rod extends longitudinally outside of the syringe barrel. In other words, as shown in FIG. 1A, prior to the administration of the medicine, only the gasket 52 and the distal end 56 of the plunger rod are initially inside the syringe barrel, at the proximal end 35 of the barrel, with the remaining part of the plunger length outside of the barrel such that its proximal end 55 is in its most extended configuration.

Alternatively, the medicine dosing device may not be prefilled. The medicine dosing device may be marked, for example, with a drug name, concentration, volumetric markings, color coded zones, and/or the like. A medical professional may draw the drug (i.e., the drug with the name marked on the device) with the proper concentration into the medicine dosing device to reach the appropriate volumetric markings and/or color coded zones. In some embodiments, the medicine dosing device comes as a part of a kit that includes a medicine vessel containing the drug to be administered. The drug in the medicine vessel may be drawn into the medicine dosing device immediately prior to the drug administration process. In such embodiments, the plunger rod may remain inside the syringe barrel until the drug is drawn into the syringe.

According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 2A, syringe 15 may include an elongate barrel 70 and a plunger 80 marked with predetermined color-coded volumetric medicine doses 100 and/or prefilled with a fluid 105 that corresponds to a medication to be administered to a patient. In this configuration, as illustrated in FIG. 2C the syringe barrel includes an inner tubular body 75 that is generally coaxially aligned with the larger diameter of the cylindrical barrel. The inner tubular body has a needle 76 coaxially positioned within the inner tubular body and longitudinally aligned with the inner tubular body. The plunger 80, shown in FIG. 2D, includes a substantially cylindrical member or vial 81 and a stopper 82. Because the syringe barrel and the plunger are initially separated, as shown in FIG. 2B, prior to the administration of the medication, the plunger 80 needs to be inserted into the proximal end 35 of the syringe barrel, such that the stopper 82 fully engages with the inner tubular body 75 and the needle 76.

According to yet another embodiment of the current disclosure the plunger and/or plunger stopper can be color coded based on the medication contained in the barrel. Such color coding of the plunger can further increase efficiency with which medication is administered and can make the administration even less error prone as visual inspection of the plunger can provide a quick verification of the correctness of the medication to be administered. Alternatively or in addition to the color coded plunger and/or plunger stopper, the plunger and/or plunger stopper may be further marked with the name and/or concentration of the drug to further limit the possibility that a mistake is made.

Alternatively the medicine dosing device can include any vessel, such as for example tube, vial, bag or bottle, capable of containing therein and expelling therefrom a desired medicine. For example, the medicine dosing device could be a bag containing an IV fluid. According to this embodiment, the bag may be marked with a series of color coded zones along with the traditional volume markings. When used in combination with the traditional volume markings, the color coded zones could serve as a reminder to the medical personnel of a correct volume of each medication that can be given to a patient based on the patient's color zone. The color coded zones may also be used as a key for entering a correct total volume to be dispensed into the IV pump for a given medication.

The description will now turn to the markings on the surface of the medicine dosing device. In case of a syringe, the markings may be placed along a circumferential surface of the syringe barrel or plunger. As shown in FIGS. 1 through 3, the markings include a series of substantially translucent bands or zones 100 indicative of the possible medicine doses to be administered to a patient. Although the markings shown in the figures include a series of color coded zones, the markings could also include zones with different patterns, textures, etc. Regardless of the type of the marking used, the markings are either directly imprinted, painted, etched or stained on an inside or outside surface of the medicine dosing device or a label or sleeve may be generated that can be affixed or placed over the outer surface of the medicine dosing device. The applied markings are such that the fluid level, once the device is filled, can be easily seen through the markings.

FIG. 3A shows a plurality of labels in accordance with one embodiment of the current disclosure. Each label 300 is substantially rectangular in shape and is sized based on the volumetric capacity of the medical dosing device to which the label is to be affixed. In other words, because of the volumetric variations among the medicine dosing devices and as a result of variations in the circumferential outer surface of such devices, the size or dimensions of the label is adjusted accordingly to ensure that it properly covers the outer surface of the of the medical dosing device. For example, when labels are made for syringes with two different volumetric barrel capacities, the label size is either increased or decreased in both length and width to accommodate for the changes in the outer surface of the barrel.

Along with the changes in the label size, appropriate corresponding changes to the widths of the color bands or zones that are printed on the label are also made based on medicine dosing device used to dispense the medication. More specifically, in order to take into account the variations in the volume of a medicine-dispensing device, the changes to the widths of the color bands or zones need to be made in order to maintain the same volumetric dose of medicine across various medicine dispensing devices. For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, labels for the same medicine loaded into a 10 cc medicine dispensing device and 5 cc dispensing device have two different widths for each color band or zone in order to keep the medicine doses the same for both medicine dosing devices. In other words, in order to dispense the same amount of medication using a 10 cc dispensing device as compared to using a 5 cc dispensing device, the width of the color bands 351A-359A on the label 310 for the 10 cc device would be smaller than the color bands 351B-359B on the label 305 for the 5 cc dispensing device in order to deliver the same amount of medication to the patient.

Similarly, the concentration of the medication that is used also affects the widths of the color bands or zones printed on the label. More specifically, the widths of the color bands or zones are determined based on the concentration of the medication, with the medication at a higher concentration corresponding to a smaller volumetric dose, or smaller band width, than the medication at a lower concentration.

As depicted in FIG. 3C the label 300 has opposing parallel sides 315 and 320 and opposing parallel ends 325 and 330 and includes a series of consecutive color bands or zones 351 through 359 of varying widths that correspond to the medication doses for patients with a particular characteristic. The characteristic may correspond to patient length (as discussed above), patient weight, patient age, patient surface area/volume, and/or the like. More specifically, each color band has a width that is defined by leading 335 and trailing 340 edges that are parallel to the opposing ends 325 and 330 of the label and which, once the label is affixed to the medicine dispensing device, corresponds in volume to a predetermined dose of medicine appropriate for the patient characteristic of a patient that falls within a predefined color-coded range. In other words, each color band or zone on the label represents a medication dose correlated to respective color-coded length range, weight range, age range, surface area/volume range, or other physiological characteristic.

Still referring to FIG. 3C, according to one embodiment, nine distinct color bands 351-359 can be used to distinguish between nine different doses of medication corresponding to nine distinct color coded patient characteristic ranges. More specifically, each of the colors corresponds to one of nine different doses of a specific medication. As shown in the FIG. 3C, in one particular implementation, band colors may include grey 351, pink 352, red 353, purple 354, yellow 355, white 356, blue 357, orange 358 and green 359, with the grey color band corresponding to the smallest dose of the medication and the green color band corresponding to the largest dose of medication that can be delivered. A solid black line(s) 365 may be utilized at the boundaries between the various color bands or zones to facilitate the process of drug administration as will be discussed in more detail below. Although the discussion will be made with reference to the specific colors shown in the FIGS. 3A-3C, it can be readily appreciated that other colors or markings may be used. Alternatively or additionally, color names may be printed within the band or zone widths in addition to or instead of colors.

According to yet another embodiment shown in FIG. 3D, a label may include ten different bands of colors with the tenth band 360 corresponding to the largest dose of medication that can be delivered. In this particular embodiment the largest dose can correspond to the universal dose that can be delivered to any patient whose characteristic (e.g., length, weight, etc.) falls outside of the previously disclosed colored ranges. For example, the universal label in accordance with this embodiment can be applied to the universal medicine-dosing device that can be used for both pediatric and adult patients and as such eliminates a need for having two separate medicine dosing systems for the two distinct patient groups.

Although, in the examples provided above a specific number of color bands have been discussed, it should be noted that any number of color bands that allow for more precise medicine dosing can be used. In some cases, the previously defined bands or zones can be further subdivided into sub-band or sub-zone to allow for a more precise medicine dosing. As a non-limiting example, in some embodiments, there may be thirty-six markings (sub-zones) within nine color zones. This may increase precision when administering a drug to a patient.

Also, in accordance with another embodiment of the current disclosure, and as shown in FIG. 3C one of the label edges can include a mark 370 that would help ensure that the label is correctly affixed or positioned on the syringe or plunger. For example, the label edge that is to be aligned with the distal end of the syringe barrel can be marked in order to prevent affixing the label to the barrel in the reverse direction, and thus leading to the incorrect doses being administered at a later time. For example, the edge of the label with the color band corresponding to the smallest dose can include a mark at its leading edge that facilitates the alignment of the label with a distal end of the syringe barrel.

Furthermore, in accordance with another embodiment as shown in FIG. 3A, the label may include the name of the medication that is to be administered or any other information that maybe important to ensuring that a correct medication would be administered to the patient. In particular, the name of the medication can be imprinted along the length of the label or any other position as long as it provides for an easy verification of the correctness of the medicine in the medicine-dosing device. Additionally, for drugs that are administered at time intervals, the label may be marked with the corresponding time interval, or a separate calendar, either paper or electronic, may be provided such that the patient and/or medical professionals can keep track of dosing intervals.

Method of Determining and Generating Dosing Information

The discussion will now turn to a method 400 for determining the medicine doses for a plurality of medications and medicine dispensing devices. In one particular example, shown in FIG. 4, the method may include generating of a color-coded dose label that can be applied to a selected medical dosing device. As shown in FIG. 4, the method 400 begins at step 401 during which the selection of the medicine for which the dosing label is to be generated is made. As related to emergency or critical care situation some of the most commonly used medications include, for example, atropine, lidocaine, fentanyl, epinephrine, etomidate, ketamine, succinylcholine, rocuronium, and midazolam to name a few. However, it should be appreciated that the method can be equally applied to any other medication that can be administered using the disclosed medicine dispensing device.

Once the medication for which a label is to be generated is identified, the doses of the drug for each of the color coded characteristic (e.g., length, weight, etc.) zones previously discussed is determined at step 402. Depending on the drug, the width of the color coded zones may differ. Table 1 below provides doses in mg for some of the above listed drugs. As can be seen in Table 1, the doses for each drug differ not only based on the type of the drug but also based on the length (i.e., characteristic) of the patient. Thus, for example, as shown in Table 1, a dose for a patient falling within the yellow color-coded length zone is 26 mg for succinylcholine and 13 mg for rocuronium. In case the same drug is to be administered to two different patients whose length falls within different color coded lengths, two different medication doses would be used as shown. For example, in the case of epinephrine, with one of the patient lengths being coded as red and the other as blue, the dose of medication to be administered to each patient would be 0.085 mg and 0.21 mg, respectively. Alternatively, doses of the drug may be determined based on dosing recommendations other than those based on the length of the patient, such as, for example, the patient's weight, age, surface area/volume, and/or the like.

After the dose to be administered to the patient is determined at step 402, the drug concentration for the drug selected in step 401 is then determined at step 403. The concentration of the drug is directly related to the volume that needs to be administered. In other words, a smaller volume of the same medication needs to be administered for a solution with a higher concentration than for a solution with a lower concentration.

The next step, step 404, involves selection of a medicine dispensing device to which the label is to be applied. As described above, because medicine dispensing devices come in various volumetric sizes, a medicine dispensing devices conversion factor that is based on the length and width of the medicine dosing device and/or the concentration of the medication may be used to take into account the variations in size and/or shape of different medicine dispensing devices for which the label is to be generated. Thus, once the medicine dispensing device of a particular volume is selected for administering the selected medication, a corresponding conversion factor listed in Table 1 can be used in order to calculate both the individual color band/zone widths and a total band widths that correspond to the determined medication doses (step 405). More specifically, the width of each color band/zone that corresponds to the determined medication dose is calculated based on the dose of the drug to be administered, the solution concentration and medicine dispensing device volumetric capacity. According to one embodiment all of the calculations may be performed by a computer processing unit (CPU) in response to a user provided input.

Applying of the label to the medicine dosing device may take place once the width of each color band or zone is determined and the label is printed. For instance, when the label is to be applied to a syringe having a barrel and a plunger, with the barrel designed for holding the medicine that is to be dispensed, the label may be place along the outer circumferential surface of the barrel by aligning one of the edges of the label that corresponds to a color band of the smallest dosing with the distal edge of the syringe barrel of the medicine dispensing device 10. Alternatively, in a syringe in which a plunger serves as a vessel for holding the medicine, the label may be placed along the outer circumferential surface of the plunger by aligning one of the edges of the label that corresponds to a color band of the smallest dosing with the proximal end of the medicine dosing device.

Although the pre-calculated band/zone widths for each of the selected medication, medicine dispensing device volumetric capacity and solution concentration may be printed on a label that can be applied to the medicine dispensing device, the dosing information may also be directly imprinted, etched, stained or painted on the medicine dispensing device. Alternatively, the dosing information can be printed on a sleeve that can be placed over the medicine dispensing device.

Depending on the embodiment, the appropriately labeled medicine-dosing device may be prefilled with a desired medication, with the fluid volume corresponding to the maximum dose that can be administered to the patient whose, for example, length falls within the maximum length zone. When the medicine dosing unit is prefilled with the selected medication the label can be applied either before or after the medicine dosing device is filled. In case the medicine dosing device is filled with a selected medication immediately prior to the medication administration process, as might be the case when the medicine dosing device is included as a part of a kit that includes the medical dosing device and a vessel filled with a drug to be administered, an empty pre-labeled medicine dosing device is supplied for use. Accordingly, a fluid volume that corresponds to a predetermined dose for a given patient may be drawn into the pre-labeled medicine dosing device from the container immediately prior to drug administration.

TABLE 1 Medicine Color Dosing Conversion band or Total Color-Coded Dose Concentration Device Factor zone width Distance Drug Length (mg) (mg/ml) (cc) (mm/cc) (mm) (mm) Epinephrine Gray 0.04 0.1 3 16 6.4 6.4 Pink 0.065 0.1 3 16 4 10.4 Red 0.085 0.1 3 16 3.2 13.6 Purple 0.1 0.1 3 16 2.4 16 Yellow 0.13 0.1 3 16 4.8 20.8 White 0.17 0.1 3 16 6.4 27.2 Blue 0.21 0.1 3 16 6.4 33.6 Orange 0.27 0.1 3 16 9.6 43.2 Green 0.33 0.1 3 16 9.6 52.8 Fentanyl Gray 12 50 3 16 3.84 3.84 Pink 20 50 3 16 2.56 6.4 Red 25 50 3 16 1.6 8 Purple 32 50 3 16 2.24 10.24 Yellow 40 50 3 16 2.56 12.8 White 50 50 3 16 3.2 16 Blue 63 50 3 16 4.16 20.16 Orange 80 50 3 16 5.44 25.6 Green 100 50 3 16 6.4 32 Midazolam-RSI Gray 1.2 1 12 5.16 6.192 6.129 Pink 2 1 12 5.16 4.128 10.32 Red 2.5 1 12 5.16 2.58 12.9 Purple 3.2 1 12 5.16 3.612 16.512 Yellow 4 1 12 5.16 4.128 20.64 White 5 1 12 5.16 5.16 25.8 Blue 6.3 1 12 5.16 6.708 32.508 Orange 8 1 12 5.16 8.772 41.28 Green 10 1 12 5.16 10.32 51.6 Ketamine Gray 6.75 10 6 8 5.4 5.4 Pink 13 10 6 8 5 10.4 Red 17 10 6 8 3.2 13.6 Purple 20 10 6 8 2.4 16 Yellow 26 10 6 8 4.8 20.8 White 33 10 6 8 5.6 26.4 Blue 42 10 6 8 7.2 33.6 Orange 50 10 6 8 6.4 40 Green 66 10 6 8 12.8 52.8 Etomidate Gray 0.9 2 5 9 4.05 4.05 Pink 2 2 5 9 4.95 9 Red 2.5 2 5 9 2.25 11.25 Purple 3.2 2 5 9 3.15 14.4 Yellow 4 2 5 9 3.6 18 White 5 2 5 9 4.5 22.5 Blue 6.3 2 5 9 5.85 28.35 Orange 8 2 5 9 7.65 36 Green 10 2 5 9 9 45 Atropine Gray 0.1 0.1 5 9 9 9 Pink 0.13 0.1 5 9 2.7 11.7 Red 0.17 0.1 5 9 3.6 15.3 Purple 021 0.1 5 9 3.6 18.9 Yellow 0.26 0.1 5 9 4.5 23.4 White 0.33 0.1 5 9 6.3 29.7 Blue 0.42 0.1 5 9 8.1 37.8 Orange 0.5 0.1 5 9 7.2 45 Green 0.5 0.1 5 9 0 45 Succinylcholine Gray 8 20 3 16 6.4 6.4 Pink 13 20 3 16 4 10.4 Red 17 20 3 16 3.2 13.6 Purple 20 20 3 16 2.4 16 Yellow 26 20 3 16 4.8 20.8 White 30 20 3 16 3.2 24 Blue 40 20 3 16 8 32 Orange 53 20 3 16 10.4 42.4 Green 66 20 3 16 10.4 52.8 Rocuronium Gray 4 10 3 16 6.4 6.4 Pink 7 10 3 16 4.8 11.2 Red 9 10 3 16 3.2 14.4 Purple 10 10 3 16 1.6 16 Yellow 13 10 3 16 4.8 20.8 White 16 10 3 16 4.8 25.6 Blue 21 10 3 16 8 33.6 Orange 27 10 3 16 9.6 43.2 Green 33 10 3 16 9.6 52.8 Lidocaine-RSI Gray 6 20 3 16 4.8 4.8 Pink 10 20 3 16 3.2 8 Red 13 20 3 16 2.4 10.4 Purple 15 20 3 16 1.6 12 Yellow 20 20 3 16 4 16 White 25 20 3 16 4 20 Blue 32 20 3 16 5.6 25.6 Orange 40 20 3 16 6.4 32 Green 50 20 3 16 8 40

Method of Administering Drugs

The medicine dosing device assembled according to the steps discussed above may be used to safely and efficiently deliver drugs. FIG. 5 is a flow diagram 500 of a method for administering drugs to a patient using the disclosed medicine dosing device 10 according to one embodiment. In this particular example, the disclosed method provides steps for efficiently administering a selected medicine to a patient from a prefilled and pre-marked medicine dosing device. As shown in the figure, the method begins at step 501 at which a color-coded length or any other physical characteristic of the patient is determined. In case of the length, a Broselow tape or any other similar type of instrument that provides color-coded length ranges can be used at this step. As shown in FIG. 6, the color coded length may be obtained by placing a patient 600 along the tape 601 and noting the color-coded length of the patient on the tape. Alternatively, any other physiological characteristic, such as for example, weight, age, body surface area or volume, that can be color coded and correlated to medication doses can be used.

Once the patient length or any other physiological characteristic is determined and/or coded to a specific color range, a prefilled medicine dispensing device 10 containing medication to be administered is selected at step 502. The medication selection is verified by either reading the name of the medication imprinted along the outer surface of the pre-filled medicine dispensing device or by verifying the color of the plunger rod as discussed above.

After the color code for the patient length or other characteristic is determined and noted and the correctness of the medicine to be administered is verified, the appropriate dose of medication to be dispensed or its corresponding volume is determined at step 503. The appropriate dose may be determined by a physician or other medical professional who calculates the appropriate dose based on at least one patient characteristic. The calculated dose may be a precise amount of a drug to be administered. Additionally, the physician or other medical professional who administers the medication may determine a color code for the patient based on at least one patient characteristic. For example, if the patient length or other characteristic is determined as falling within the blue color range on the measuring tape, the volume of medication to be administered to the patient will be the volume within the blue color band or zone on the medicine dosing device.

Because (in this embodiment) the medicine dispensing unit is prefilled with medication, the appropriate dose of medicine can be obtained by purging any excess of medication from the prefilled syringe until the calculated volume (dose) of the medication is reached as indicated in step 504. In other words, with the prefilled volume of the medicine dispensing device may correspond to the maximum dose that can be administered to a patient. Therefore, unless the calculated dose is the maximum possible dose, some of the medication has to be purged from the prefilled medicine-dosing device prior to administering of the drug.

Thus, according to one embodiment the plunger is pushed along the inside of the barrel toward the distal end 31 of the barrel until the proximal end of the plunger 54 arrives at the calculated dose. Once the administering medical professional has purged the excess medicine such that the calculated dose is the only medication that remains in the medicine dosing device, the administering medical professional verifies that the calculated dose, and the amount of medication that remains in the medicine dosing device, is within the color coded range determined for the patient. For example, in case of the above mentioned patient whose length or other characteristic was coded as being blue, with the blue band having a leading edge proximate the distal end of the barrel and the trailing edge proximate the proximal end of the barrel, the plunger is pushed toward the distal end of the barrel until the distal end of the plunger is aligned with the calculated dose, and then the administering medical professional ensures that the plunger is between the leading edge and trailing edge of the blue band. Once all the excess fluid is purged from the prefilled dosing device per step 504, the correctness of the medicine dose is verified at step 505 and the medicine is then administered to the patient at step 506.

Alternatively, according to another embodiment, the medicine-dosing device can be used to administer drugs to patients following the method shown in FIG. 7A. In particular, the method for administering drugs can begin with the selection of an emergency medical treatment kit that includes a drug to be administered to the patient (step 701). As shown in FIG. 7B, the medical treatment kit may include a container, such as box, bag, pouch or any other suitable container capable of holding the medicine dosing device therein, labeled on the outside surface with the name of the medication contained in the container among other things. For example, according to one embodiment, in addition to having the name of the drug listed on the label, the label may also include information on the concentration of the drug and/or instruction on how to use the kit to administer the drug. The medical treatment kit may further include a pre-marked medicine dosing device, such as for example a syringe, with the color-coded zones calibrated to the different drug doses for the selected drug. The syringe markings may also include the name of the drug that is to be delivered or any other information that may be helpful in ensuring that the drug is correctly delivered to the patient. The medical treatment kit may also include a needle, such as a blunt filling needle that can be plastic or made of any other suitable material, for facilitating drawing of the drug into the syringe. The medical treatment kit may also contain a container, such a bottle, vial, etc., for holding the drug that is labeled with the drug name on the outside of the container. The container may include a stopper or a lid that helps to contain the drug inside the container. The stopper or lid may be made from, for example, rubber or any other suitable material that can be easily punctured with the filling needle, such that the drug from the container can be easily drawn into the medicine-dosing device.

If more than one drug is included in the kit, the corresponding vials and syringes for each drug may be positioned within the packaging to ensure that there is no confusion as to which vial corresponds to which syringe. Additionally, differently colored plungers will help to ensure that the correct medication is given to the patient in the correct order. For example, in a situation where two drugs are being administered in a specified order, the kit may include a first drug in a first vial with a first syringe marked with the color zones for the first drug, and a second drug in a second vial with a second syringe marked with the color zones for the second drug. To ensure that the first vial and first syringe do not get confused with the second vial and second syringe, the plungers in the syringes may be colored. The color of the label and/or lid of the first vial may be marked with the same color as the plunger of the first syringe, and the color of the label and/or lid of the second vial may be marked with the same color as the plunger of the second syringe. This way, when the drug is being administered, the administrating medical professional can easily to make sure that the correct vial/drug-syringe combination is being used.

Alternatively or additionally, when the drugs need to be delivered in a particular order, the ends of the plungers may be marked numerically to indicate the order in which the drugs are to be delivered. For example, if the first drug to be administered has a green plunger and the second drug to be administered has a yellow plunger, the end of the green plunger may have a number “1” on the end and the end of the yellow plunger may have a number “2” on the end. The vials may also be marked numerically.

In case drug doses are based on patient's length, the color-coded length of the patient may be determined (step 702) using an instrument such as a Broselow tape or any other similar type of device that provides color-coded length ranges as discussed above with reference to FIG. 6. Alternatively, other patient characteristics may be used to determine a color coded range. Appropriate volume of the drug to be administered may be subsequently determined based on the patient length, and the patient length may be correlated to a color code (step 703). The determined drug volume may be then drawn into the medicine-dosing device (step 704), and the administering medical professional verifies that the determined drug volume is within the color code corresponding to the patient (step 705). Once the dose is verified, the drug can then be administered to the patient (step 706). According to one embodiment as shown in FIG. 7B, when the medicine-dosing device is a syringe with a pre-attached filling needle, the filling needle might be disposed off prior to the administration of the medication.

As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, eliminating the step of calculating doses that need to be administered in the high stress environment, as well as eliminating the steps of selecting appropriate medicine dosing device helps to eliminate critical dosing errors, such as critical over dose or critical under dose errors, that usually arise when conventional devices and methods are used. Also, frequency and severity of non-critical errors as compared to the traditional methods can be reduced as shown in FIGS. 8C and 8D. Lastly, as shown in FIGS. 8E and 8F, time to prepare and deliver medication, as well as time to deliver medications when preparing for rapid sequence intubations (RSI) may be significantly reduced when the medicine-dosing device according to the current disclosure is used as compared to the conventional devices. As such the pre-labeled medicine dispensing device designed and used in accordance with the disclosed embodiments provides for more simplified, accurate and efficient drug delivery in emergency and critical care situations.

In another embodiment, the dose may be calculated, and the color band/zone may be used to verify that the calculated dose is within a safe range based on at least one patient characteristic. For example, a precise dosage may be calculated based on a patient characteristic, such as patient weight, and to ensure that calculated dose is safe to give a patient, the person administering the drug ensures that the dose is within the correct color band/zone before administering the drug. The color bands/zones may be smaller for certain medications that require more precision. In such situations, a smaller range, or even exact precision, may be required in the correlation between the patient characteristic and the dosage.

By first calculating a dose and then verifying that the determined dose is within a safe range (i.e., color zone) for the patient, errors in dosing can be avoided because everyone in the chain of drug delivery is able to identify when an error has been made. For example, a physician may calculate a dose, but a nurse (or a second doctor) may administer the medication to the patient. If an error in calculation occurs, or if the administering medical professional misreads the calculated dose, the administering professional will know that an error is made before administering the drug to the patient, because the dose is outside of the color zone that corresponds to the patient. (In some embodiments, the patient's color zone may be determined at the time the drug is administered, may be marked on the patient's chart—such as with a marker, barcode that can be scanned, etc.—or the child may be asked to wear an arm band in the color that corresponds to the child's safe color zone.)

FIG. 9A shows an exemplary flow chart of such an embodiment. A color coded zone may be determined based on at least one patient characteristic 905. The patient characteristic may be a patient length, patient weight, patient age, patient surface area/volume, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the color coded zone may be determined based on patient weight, such as by using the chart shown in FIG. 9C and/or 9D. The drug to be administered to the patient may be determined 910, and a pre-marked dispensing device may be selected 915. In some embodiments, the pre-marked dispensing device may be specifically tailored to the drug (e.g., both the drug name and concentration) being administered to the patient, and the device may have a series of color coded zones that correspond to drug doses that can be administered. The color coded zones may be of varying widths, and may correspond to volumes of the drug that are safe to administer to patients with at least one physical characteristic and/or within a range of the at least one physical characteristic.

A drug dose to be administered to the patient may be determined 920. In some embodiments, the determination of the drug dose is based on calculations made by a physician or other medical professional. For example, the physician may know that a patient having a certain physical characteristic, such as a weight within a predetermined range, should receive a certain amount of the drug (e.g., based on FDA guidelines). The amount of a drug to be given to a patient may be in units of weight (e.g., milligrams). When delivering a drug in liquid form, however, the units are in terms of volume (e.g., milligrams/milliliter). Thus, the medical professional must determine how many milliliters of the drug to deliver to the patient in order to give the proper dose (e.g., milligrams) of the drug to the patient.

Once the drug dose has been determined, the dispensing device may be filled with a volume of the drug based on the determined drug dose 925. The person administering the drug, such as a physician, nurse, technician, physician assistant, and/or the like, may verify that the volume of the drug filled in the dispensing device corresponds with the determined color coded zone 930. Assuming the volume is within the zone, the drug dose may be administered to the patient using the dispensing device 935. In some embodiments, if the volume is not within the zone, the dose may not be administered to the patient. For example, the drug dose may be re-determined. In other embodiments, the dose may be administered as long as it is not above the determined zone.

FIG. 9B shows another exemplary flow chart of such an embodiment. The drug being administered may be selected 950, and a dose of the drug may be determined and/or calculated 955. The dose may be based on a patient characteristic, such as a patient length, patient weight, patient age, patient surface area/volume, and/or the like. A color coded zone may also be determined based on the same or based on a different patient characteristic 960. The calculated dose may be drawn into the drug dispensing device 965. For example, when the drug dispensing device is a syringe, the calculated dose may be drawn into the syringe from a vial. The syringe may be marked with a plurality of color coded zones, as shown in FIG. 10B. In order to ensure that a safe dose is administered, the calculated dose should be within the determined color coded zone 970. If the determined dose is within, and in some embodiments less than, the color coded zone, the dose is administered to the patient 975. If the determined dose is not within the color coded zone—for example, if the determined dose is greater than the color coded zone—the dose is not administered. The excess drug may be expelled from the drug dispensing device, or the dose may be re-calculated (re-determined) in order to ensure that the calculations were performed correctly.

FIG. 9C shows an exemplary chart for determining the color-coded zone for a patient based on patient weight in kilograms (kg). Such a chart may be used in hospitals, where weights may be noted in kilograms for ease of use in dosage calculations.

FIG. 9D depicts another exemplary color-coded chart in which patient weight is shown in pounds (lbs.). In the embodiment of FIG. 9D, the patient length (here, in inches (in.)) is also shown. This embodiment may be particularly useful where doses of medications are delivered at home, since in certain countries (e.g., in the U.S.), patients and caregivers may be more familiar with pounds and inches than they are with kilograms and centimeters. Thus, for example, when a parent is administering epinephrine to their child, they may be able to quickly reference the chart shown in FIG. 9D to determine that their child should be administered a dose falling within the color range that corresponds to their child's weight and/or height.

FIGS. 10A-B show exemplary color coded zones for a drug, epinephrine, at a concentration of 1 mg/1 mL. The color coded zones shown in FIG. 10A may be used when the color coded zone is used to determine the dose to be administered to the patient (e.g., using the process shown in FIGS. 5 and 7A). In these embodiments, the patient length is used to determine the color coded zone, and the color coded zone determines the dose to be administered to the patient. In a typical implementation of the disclosed embodiments, a medical professional administering a drug may fill the syringe with the drug to the level of the maximum dose for the color coded zone corresponding to the patient. For example, if the patient's length (or weight, etc.) falls within the white zone, the medical professional administers 0.15 mL of the drug. This may be a slight overdose for patients at the low end of the white color coded zone, and a slight underdose for patients at the high end of the white color coded zone (of course, the slight overdose/underdose is within a safe range of doses for patients that fall within the white zone). In other embodiments, the doses corresponding to the color zone may be an accurate dose for patients at the low end of their respective color coded zone, and may be a slight underdose for patients in the middle and high end of the color zone.

FIG. 10B shows color coded zones that may be used when the processes shown in FIGS. 9A-9B are used. Here, the calculations may be precise, and the colors are used to double check that the dose is in a safe range. Because dose is calculated and the color coded zones are used to verify that a proper dose is applied, the color coded zones can be more accurate. As was discussed with reference to FIGS. 9A-9B, the administering professional fills a syringe to a level corresponding to the exact dose calculated for the patient and then ensures that the calculated dose is included within the color coded zone corresponding to the patient.

In the embodiment of FIG. 10B the zones are not configured so that a slight overdose/underdose is administered to patients on either side of each zone. Instead, each color zone extends only to the maximum acceptable dose for any patient within a zone (e.g., to the maximum acceptable dose for the lightest or shortest patients within the zone). As a result, the volumes of the color coded zones are shifted between FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B. As an example, consider a case in which a patient weighs 14 kg, and is therefore at the top of the ‘yellow’ range. In the embodiment of FIG. 10A, the patient would receive 0.12 mL of epinephrine. In the embodiment of FIG. 10B, the dose may be calculated to be 0.14 mL of epinephrine. When this dose is in the medicine dosing device, the administering professional sees that the dose is appropriate for the yellow zone, double checks that the patient is categorized for the yellow zone, and then administers the drug. Thus, although the patient receives a higher dose in the embodiment of FIG. 10B, this higher dose is accurate and safe. To the contrary, if a physician were to calculate that the patient should receive 0.20 mL of the drug, the administering professional would see that this dose falls in the blue zone; knowing that the patient is categorized within the yellow zone, the administering professional would not administer the drug. This prevents an overdose of the medication and ensures that the patient receives the correct amount of the drug.

In an exemplary implementation, if a physician calculates a dose for the patient of 0.15 mL, the medical professional administering the drug will fill the syringe (whether by dispelling the drug from a pre-filled device or drawing medication into the device) to the 0.15 mL marker. Next, the medical professional checks the patient's color coded zone. If the patient is within the white zone, the professional administers the drug; if the patient is within any other zone, the medical professional does not administer the drug, and instead ensures that the dose is recalculated. In some embodiments, it may be particularly important for the medical professional to ensure that the patient is not overdosed with medication. Thus, if the patient is within a color zone that is higher than the calculated dose, the administering medical professional may administer the drug and then ensure that the remainder of the dose is given (e.g., a ‘blue’ zone patient may be given a ‘white’ zone dose, followed by the remaining dose at a later time. Thus, the 0.15 mL dose may be administered, and then if the proper dose should have been 0.20 mL, the remaining 0.05 mL may be administered.)

Attention is now directed to FIG. 11, which depicts an embodiment of a dosing system including a pre-labeled medicine dosing/dispensing device 1100 designed to facilitate delivery of sequential doses of medication to a patient in a safe manner. As shown, the dosing device 1100 is printed, labeled or otherwise marked with a visual dosing aid in the form of a color dosing bar 1104 having four dosing segments 1110. In one embodiment the color dosing bar 1104 is of a color (i.e., green) that is correlated with a parameter of a patient (e.g., the patient's weight or length). Each of the dosing segments 1110 identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to a given medication dose to be provided to the patient. For example, a first dosing segment 1110 a corresponds to a first dose to be provided to the patient, a second dosing segment 1110 b corresponds to a second dose to be provided to the patient, a third dosing segment 1110 c corresponds to a third dose to be provided to the patient, and a fourth dosing segment 1110 d corresponds to a fourth dose to be provided to the patient.

The dosing system of FIG. 11 has particular utility in situations in which the practice of medicine requires that sequential doses of the same medicine be provided to a patient. Such situations often arise in the context of emergency treatment where available resources and time may be limited. For example, in an emergency situation involving a cardiac arrest, the same dose of a particular medicine must generally be given to the cardiac patient during each of a number of successive 3-minute intervals. In some situations up to 20 doses of a medication must be sequentially given to a patient before the patient can be safely transported to a hospital setting for further treatment. When conventional dosing instruments are utilized in such emergency scenarios, critical time can be lost in calculating/measuring medicine dose as well as in getting different preparations of the medicine ready for administration to the patient.

These shortcomings of conventional dosing approaches can be overcome by utilizing the sequential dosing system of FIG. 11. Specifically, the dosing segments 1110 enable a predetermined number (4 in the case of FIG. 11) doses of a medication to be prepared in advance and sequentially delivered to a patient through the device 1100. In one embodiment an operator of the dosing device 1100 need not perform any mathematical calculations in order to arrive at a correct sequence of dosages to be delivered to a patient. For example, once a parameter of the patient (e.g., weight or length) has been correlated to a particular dosing color (green in the case of FIG. 11), a dosing device 1100 having a color dosing bar 1104 having a color the same as the dosing color correlated with the patient is selected from among multiple dosing devices having dosing bars of different colors. The dosing segments 1110 then effectively serve to inform the operator of the dispensing device of the proper volumes of medication to be administered in each successive dose in light of the patient's size, concentration of the medication, and desired medication dose (e.g., mg/kg of body weight) without requiring the operator to engage in any calculations. This sequential delivery of multiple, pre-prepared doses of medication through a single instrument in a manner not requiring a medical professional to engage in mathematical calculations or the like to determine dosing levels is not possible using conventional syringes or other conventional drug delivery devices.

Referring to FIG. 11, the medicine dosing device 1100 according to one embodiment is a syringe 1115 that includes a proximal end 1125 and a distal end 1120 opposite the proximal end. The syringe includes a vessel, such as a syringe barrel 1130 for holding therein a medicine that is to be dispensed, and a plunger 1150 that extends proximally from an opening located at the proximal end 1135 of the syringe barrel to the proximal end of the plunger at the proximal end 1125. The syringe barrel 1130 and plunger 1150 are both manufactured from material such as plastic, glass or any other suitable transparent medical grade material that is inert or will not disrupt the chemical balance of the fluid inside.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the syringe barrel 1130 is elongate and substantially cylindrical and includes a distal end 1131 and a proximal end 1135. A chamber 1132 capable of receiving a plunger and retaining a fluid therein is defined by the inner circumferential surface of the 1130 barrel between the distal and proximal ends 1131 and 1135. A flange 1133, which can serve as a finger grip to provide for an easier handing of the syringe, is integrally formed with the proximal end of the barrel and defines an opening for receiving the plunger 1150. Proximate this opening, along the inner surface of the barrel, may be a ridge (not shown), that prevents the plunger from slipping out of the barrel once it is engaged with the barrel.

The opening defined by the flange 1133 is in communication with the chamber 1132 and an orifice located at the distal end 1120 of the syringe barrel. A tip 1140 for attaching a needle, nozzle or tubing for expelling the liquid contained within the syringe barrel 1130 is integrally formed with the distal end 1120 of the barrel and in communication with the orifice. In some embodiments, the tip may be configured based on the type of drug that the syringe is used to deliver. For example, oral tips may be used on syringes configured for medicines that are oral, and in particular, the oral tip may be different from an intravenous (“IV”) or intermuscular (“IM”) tip, thereby ensuring that the medicine is delivered by the right route. Similarly, syringes configured for IV and IM drugs may be configured with IV and IM tips, respectively, such that they, too, can only be delivered via the right route.

In one embodiment the barrel 1130 is marked with a reference line 1160 (zero line). In cases in which the syringe barrel 1130 is pre-filled with medication, syringe doses may be calculated from the proximal end 1135 of the barrel 1130 or from the reference line 1160. Sequential doses may then be delivered to a patient where each dose comprises a volume of medication corresponding to one of the dosing segments 1110.

If the syringe 1115 is provided to an operator in an empty state, the syringe 1115 would be filled by the operator with medication from, for example, a medication vial. In this case the orientation of the label 1104 would be reversed relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 11. That is, the label 1104 would be oriented such that the dosing segment 1110 corresponding to the first of multiple sequential doses of the medication would be proximate the distal end 1120 of the barrel 1130 and the dosing segment 1110 corresponding to the last dose would be relatively closer to the proximal end 1135. The medication within the vial may be drawn into the syringe 1115 immediately prior to administering of the sequential doses. In such embodiments, the plunger rod 1150 may remain inside the syringe barrel 1130 until the medication is drawn into the syringe 1115. Either approach saves valuable time for the operator relative to the case in which single-dose syringes are used, since these require the operator to refill the syringe from the medication vial prior to administering each sequential dose. Use of the syringe 1115 also obviates the need for the operator to externally track how many doses have actually been provided to a patient, since the volume of medication remaining in the syringe will explicitly indicate how many doses remain in the barrel 1130 relative to the full state of barrel 1130.

The disclosed sequential dosing system is also pertinent to situations in which ambulances or other mobile medical care systems must stock a limited supply of medication ready for a vast array of patient needs. These medications may have to meet the needs of a diverse population of patients and it is not feasible or practical to have multiple preparations of the same medication ready (e.g., cardiac arrest medication). One way of addressing these needs is to use color-coding in the form of, for example, multiple color bars, to represent various size patients on the same dosing device while still preserving sequential dosing function by partitioning each color bar into multiple dosing segments.

Turning now to FIG. 12, an illustration is provided of a dosing system including a pre-labeled medicine dosing/dispensing device 1200 designed to facilitate delivery of sequential doses of medication to any one of multiple different-sized patients. As shown, the dosing device 1200 is printed, labeled or otherwise marked with three color dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208, each of which is respectively partitioned into two dosing segments 1210 a-b, 1212 a-b, 1214 a-b. In one embodiment the color dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208 are respectively colored blue, gold and orange, with each different color being correlated with a different patient size. Each of the dosing segments 1210, 1212, 1214 identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to a given medication dose to be provided to a patient correlated with a corresponding one of the color dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208. For example, a first dosing segment 1210 a of color dosing bar 1204 corresponds to a first dose to be provided to a patient correlated with the dosing color blue, and a second dosing segment 1210 b of corresponds to a second dose to be provided to the same patient.

Like the system of FIG. 11, the dosing system of FIG. 12 has particular utility in situations in which the practice of medicine requires that sequential doses of the same medicine be provided to a patient. Such situations often arise in the context of emergency treatment where available resources and time may be limited. For example, in an emergency situation involving a cardiac arrest, the same dose of a particular medicine must generally be given to the cardiac patient during each of a number of successive 3-minute intervals. In some situations up to 20 doses of a medication must be sequentially given to a patient before the patient can be safely transported to a hospital setting for further treatment. When conventional dosing instruments are utilized in such emergency scenarios, critical time can be lost in calculating/measuring medicine dose as well as in getting different preparations of the medicine ready for administration to the patient.

These shortcomings of conventional dosing approaches can be overcome by utilizing the sequential dosing system of FIG. 12. Specifically, the dosing segments 1210, 1212, 1214 enable a predetermined number (2 in the case of FIG. 12) doses of a medication to be prepared in advance and sequentially delivered to a patient through the device 1200. In one embodiment an operator of the dosing device 1200 need not perform any mathematical calculations in order to arrive at a correct sequence of dosages to be delivered to a patient. For example, once a parameter of the patient (e.g., weight or length) has been correlated to a particular dosing color (blue, gold or orange in the case of FIG. 12), a dosing device 1200 having a color dosing bar 1204, 1206, 1208 of a color the same as the dosing color correlated with the patient is selected. The dosing segments 1210, 1212, 1214 of the one of the color dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208 correlated with the patient then effectively serve to inform the operator of the dispensing device of the proper volumes of medication to be administered in each successive dose in light of the patient's size, concentration of the medication, and desired medication dose (e.g., mg/kg of body weight) without requiring the operator to engage in any calculations. This sequential delivery of multiple, pre-prepared doses of medication through a single instrument in a manner not requiring a medical professional to engage in mathematical calculations or the like to determine dosing levels is not possible using conventional syringes or other conventional drug delivery devices.

Referring to FIG. 12, the medicine dosing device 1200 according to one embodiment is a syringe 1215 that includes a proximal end 1225 and a distal end 1220 opposite the proximal end. The syringe includes a vessel, such as a syringe barrel 1230 for holding therein a medicine that is to be dispensed, and a plunger 1250 that extends proximally from an opening located at the proximal end 1235 of the syringe barrel to the proximal end of the plunger at the proximal end 1225. The syringe barrel 1230 and plunger 1250 are both manufactured from material such as plastic, glass or any other suitable transparent medical grade material that is inert or will not disrupt the chemical balance of the fluid inside.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, the syringe barrel 1230 is elongate and substantially cylindrical and includes a distal end 1231 and a proximal end 1235. A chamber capable of receiving the plunger 1250 and retaining a fluid therein is defined by the inner circumferential surface of the 1230 barrel between the distal and proximal ends 1231 and 1235. A flange 1233, which can serve as a finger grip to provide for an easier handing of the syringe, is integrally formed with the proximal end of the barrel and defines an opening for receiving the plunger 1250. Proximate this opening, along the inner surface of the barrel, may be a ridge (not shown), that prevents the plunger from slipping out of the barrel once it is engaged with the barrel.

The opening defined by the flange 1233 is in communication with the chamber of the syringe 1215 and an orifice located at the distal end 1220 of the syringe barrel. A tip 1240 for attaching a needle, nozzle or tubing for expelling the liquid contained within the syringe barrel is integrally formed with the distal end 1220 of the barrel and in communication with the orifice. In some embodiments, the tip 1240 may be configured based on the type of drug that the syringe is used to deliver. For example, oral tips may be used on syringes configured for medicines that are oral, and in particular, the oral tip may be different from an intravenous (“IV”) or intermuscular (“IM”) tip, thereby ensuring that the medicine is delivered by the right route. Similarly, syringes configured for IV and IM drugs may be configured with IV and IM tips, respectively, such that they, too, can only be delivered via the right route.

In one embodiment the barrel 1230 is marked with a reference line 1260 (zero line). In cases in which the syringe barrel 1230 is pre-filled with medication, syringe doses may be calculated from the proximal end 1235 of the barrel 1230 or from the reference line 1260. Sequential doses may then be delivered to a patient where each dose comprises a volume of medication corresponding to one of the dosing segments 1210, 1212, 1214.

If the syringe 1215 is provided to an operator in an empty state, the syringe 1215 would be filled by the operator with medication from, for example, a medication vial. In this case the orientation of the dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208 would be reversed relative to the orientation shown in FIG. 12. That is, the dosing bars 1204, 1206, 1208 would be oriented such that the dosing segment 1210, 1212, 1214 corresponding to the first of multiple sequential doses of the medication would be proximate the distal end 1220 of the barrel 1230 and the dosing segment 1210, 1212, 1214 corresponding to the last dose would be relatively closer to the proximal end 1235. The medication within the vial may be drawn into the syringe 1215 immediately prior to administering of the sequential doses. In such embodiments, the plunger 1250 may remain inside the syringe barrel 1230 until the medication is drawn into the syringe 1215. Either approach saves valuable time for the operator relative to the case in which single-dose syringes are used, since these require the operator to refill the syringe from the medication vial prior to administering each sequential dose. Use of the syringe 1215 also obviates the need for the operator to externally track how many doses have actually been provided to a patient, since the volume of medication remaining in the syringe will explicitly indicate how many doses remain in the barrel 1230 relative to the full state of barrel 1230.

Example embodiments of the devices, systems and methods have been described herein. As may be noted elsewhere, these embodiments have been described for illustrative purposes only and are not limiting. Other embodiments are possible and are covered by the disclosure, which will be apparent from the teachings contained herein. Thus, the breadth and scope of the disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments but should be defined only in accordance with claims supported by the present disclosure and their equivalents. Moreover, embodiments of the subject disclosure may include methods, systems and devices which may further include any and all elements/features from any other disclosed methods, systems, and devices, including any and all features corresponding to scientific data exchange. In other words, features from one and/or another disclosed embodiment may be interchangeable with features from other disclosed embodiments, which, in turn, correspond to yet other embodiments. Furthermore, one or more features/elements of disclosed embodiments may be removed and still result in patentable subject matter (and thus, resulting in yet more embodiments of the subject disclosure). Still further, some embodiments are distinguishable from the prior art due to such embodiments specifically lacking one or more features which are found in the prior art. In other words, claims to some embodiments of the disclosure may include one or more negative limitations to specifically note that the claimed embodiment lacks at least one structure, element, and/or feature that is disclosed in the prior art. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A medicine dosing device for delivering sequential doses of medication to a patient, the medicine dosing device comprising: a substantially transparent vessel for holding the medication therein; and a visual dosing aid on a surface of the vessel, the visual dosing aid having a plurality of dosing segments wherein each of the dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be sequentially provided to the patient.
 2. The medicine dosing device of claim 1 wherein the visual dosing aid is of a color or pattern that is correlated to at least one physical characteristic of the patient.
 3. The medicine dosing device of claim 1 wherein a first of the plurality of dosing segments corresponds to a first dose of the medication to be provided to the patient, a second of the plurality of dosing segments corresponds to a second dose of the medication to be provided to the patient, and a third of the plurality of dosing segments corresponds to a third dose of the medication to be provided to the patient.
 4. The medicine dosing device of claim 1 wherein the visual dosing aid is in the shape of a bar and each of the dosing segments is rectangular.
 5. The medicine dosing device of claim 1 wherein the visual dosing aid is printed on a label and affixed to an outer surface of the medicine dispensing device.
 6. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 wherein widths of the dosing segments are dependent upon the medication, the concentration of the medication and a volumetric capacity of the substantially transparent vessel.
 7. The medicine dispensing device of claim 1 wherein each of the dosing segments is of equal size.
 8. A medicine dosing device, comprising: a substantially transparent vessel for holding a medication therein; a first visual dosing aid on a surface of the vessel, the first visual dosing aid being of a first color and having a plurality of first dosing segments wherein each of the plurality of first dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be provided to a first patient wherein the first color is correlated to a size of the first patient; and a second visual dosing aid on a surface of the vessel, the second visual dosing aid being of a second color and having a plurality of second dosing segments wherein each of the plurality of second dosing segments identifies a volume of the medication corresponding to one of a plurality of medication doses to be sequentially provided to a second patient wherein the second color is correlated to a size of the second patient.
 9. The medicine dosing device of claim 8 wherein the first visual dosing aid and the second visual dosing are each in the shape of a bar and wherein each of the first dosing segments and second dosing segments is rectangular.
 10. The medicine dosing device of claim 8 wherein the first visual dosing aid is printed on a first label and affixed to an outer surface of the medicine dispensing device and wherein the second visual dosing aid is printed on a second label and affixed to the outer surface of the medicine dispensing device.
 11. A method of administering a drug, the method comprising: determining a dosing color for a patient from a plurality of dosing colors, the dosing color corresponding to one of the physical characteristics of the patient; selecting a prefilled drug dispensing device containing the drug where the prefilled drug dispensing device includes a visual dosing aid having a color the same as the dosing color, the visual dosing aid having at least a first dosing segment identifying a first volume of the drug corresponding to a first drug dose to be provided to the patient and a second dosing segment identifying a second volume of the drug corresponding to a second drug dose to be provided to the patient; administering the first drug dose to the patient using the prefilled drug dispensing device; and administering the second drug dose to the patient using the prefilled drug dispensing device.
 12. The method of claim 11 further including determining a number of doses of the drug that have been administered to the patient by observing a volume of the drug remaining in the drug dispensing device relative to at least one of the first dosing segment and the second dosing segment.
 13. A method of administering a drug, the method comprising: determining a dosing color for a patient from a plurality of dosing colors, the dosing color corresponding to one of the physical characteristics of the patient; selecting a drug dispensing device having a visual dosing aid having a color the same as the dosing color, the visual dosing aid having at least a first dosing segment identifying a first volume of the drug corresponding to a first drug dose to be provided to the patient and a second dosing segment identifying a second volume of the drug corresponding to a second drug dose to be provided to the patient; filling the drug dispensing device with the drug; administering the first drug dose to the patient using the drug dispensing device; and administering the second drug dose to the patient without refilling the drug dispensing device.
 14. The method of claim 13 further including determining a number of doses of the drug that have been administered to the patient by observing a volume of the drug remaining in the drug dispensing device relative to at least one of the first dosing segment and the second dosing segment. 